


The Unspoken Trials of Fatherhood

by a_cael



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Anxiety, Awkward Conversations, Bickering, F/M, Gen, Parental Roy Mustang, parental woes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27542719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_cael/pseuds/a_cael
Summary: This is one of those times when he wished for his best friend's advice. Hughes was a picture perfect family man and he would know how to handle this. But alas, it’s been years since his death and Roy is the one trapped in this situation.
Relationships: Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell, Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang (implied)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 72





	The Unspoken Trials of Fatherhood

**Author's Note:**

> Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

“Boss?”

Major General Roy Mustang didn’t even stir as he continued snoring on top of his paperwork.

“Boss, sorry for interrupting your beauty sleep but I’d appreciate it if you wake up right now.”

No response. The now happily mobile Jean Havoc groaned at the sight of his commanding officer. Slumped on his desk face first without a care in the world. Hawkeye nowhere to be seen. _Great._

“Hey, Hawkeye. You’re back.”

As expected, Mustang snapped awake, bleary eyes fretfully scanning the room for the blonde woman.

“Huzzah?”

He didn’t even attempt to hold in his laughter at the confused fumbling and the paper stuck on the other man’s cheek.

“You should see yourself in the mirror, boss. Lucky it wasn’t Hawkeye who caught you snoozing or you’ll be in trouble.”

“ _You’re_ lucky I’m too lazy to pin you for insubordination, Havoc.”

“Sorry, boss. I can’t take you seriously with how you look.”

Mustang glared at him before rubbing his eyes and removed the paper from his cheek. Poor chap looked like he’s about to throw in the towel with his untidy hair and dark bags under his eyes.

“For the love of- I haven’t even finished the one Hawkeye brought this morning!”

Havoc shrugged as he placed the stack of files on the crowded desk anyway.

“I’m requested to make an appearance in Ishval tomorrow and on Friday, the Ice Queen herself demanded me to go to that freezing hellhole and I’m pretty sure it’s because she can’t be bothered to come h-”

Both men stopped when the phone suddenly rang.

“Fucking hells! Who is it now?!”

Havoc swiftly grabbed the receiver before the raging Flame Alchemist decides to displace his frustration to whoever was calling.

“Major General Mustang’s office. How can we help you?”

_“H-Havoc?”_

The voice was shaky but Havoc would recognize it from anywhere.

“Hey, Ed. How’s it going?”

It’s been a while since he’d seen the former Fullmetal Alchemist and to be honest, he missed chaotic energy he brought to the office.

_“Fine…uhm, is Major Hawkeye there?”_

“Hawkeye? She’s on an errand, Ed. Is it something important? Do you want to-”

Havoc blinked twice when the receiver disappeared from his grasps.

“Hello, Fullmetal. To what do we owe the pleasure?”

_“Give the receiver back to Havoc, Colonel Bastard!”_

“It’s Major General Bastard to you, shrimp.”

_“What did you say?!”_

Havoc shook his head at the familiar scene and decided not to take part of it. He gave Mustang a lazy salute and waltzed out of the office.

“Havoc just left so you’re stuck with the most handsome general in Amestris.”

_“Most handsome, my ass! And stop calling me Fullmetal.”_

_Nice, the kid still got his spunk._ Roy moved the phone closer and settled more comfortably in his chair.

_“When is she coming back?”_

“I don’t know to be honest. I bet she’s gone and got some more paperwork like I’m not drowning in it already.”

_“Damn.”_

The unintelligible grumbling that followed made Roy raise a brow.

“If it’s urgent, just say so. I could pass the message for you.”

Again, there was only mumbling from the other line.

“Speak clearly or I’m going to hang up.”

_“I thought I could…urgh…never mind…”_

All the stress from the previous days suddenly vanished. What the hell happened this time?

“Are you in trouble or something?”

 _“W-What? NO! W-Well…at least not the kind of trouble you were thinking_ …”

Oh, if only he could only grab the boy’s collar right now and shake him violently until he talks! The defensiveness sent red flags in Roy’s now alert senses and he didn’t like it.

“Then what is it? Don’t tell me you decided to call Hawkeye using the military line during work hours for nothing.”

_“I’ve been trying her personal number but seems like she’s almost never at home. And no, I don’t find letters appealing before you ask.”_

“We’ve been busy. I’m surprised I even have the energy to argue with you.”

_“Oh, is that so? Not a surprise for Hawkeye but I’ve never pegged you for a hard worker.”_

Roy could feel the veins popping on his forehead and for once, he was glad he surrendered all of his ignition gloves that morning.

“Well?”

_“Well what?”_

Gods, is the boy doing this on purpose?

“Don’t waste my time, Fullmetal!”

_“Winry’s p-pregnant!”_

How…anticlimactic. Roy didn’t know if he should feel relieved or head to Resembool right now and kick the boy’s ass for making him think of possible scenarios… Alphonse kidnapped…Pinako Rockbell died… Miss Rockbell asked for divorce and Fullmetal became depressed…shit. When did the suave Roy Mustang become such a pessimist? He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed deeply.

“That’s it?”

_“Yes, that’s it- DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?”_

“That she’s with child?”

_“IT MEANS I’M GOING TO BE A DAD, ASSHOLE!”_

“Well, double congratulations for figuring that out.”

More grumbling and frustrated string of expletives graced Roy’s ears. Enough is enough.

“I’m happy for you, Fullmetal, I really am. But I’m confused as hell because you’re giving me the impression that this pregnancy is unwanted.”

There was a sharp intake of air as he waited for a response.

_“D-Don’t say that! Of course we both wanted this! It’s just…it’s just…”_

“I haven’t got all day, boy.”

_“I…alright… I-I’m n-nervous…”_

Did he heard that right? Edward Elric, nervous? Roy now wonders if the five cups of coffee that morning had muddled his capacity to think.

“Somehow, I find that hard to believe. No offense but how does fatherhood make a man who performed human transmutation as a child nervous?”

_“I…I don’t know what to do… I mean, there isn’t a single perfected formula for this unlike alchemy. FUCK! What if- what if I did something wrong a-and I-I break the little thing-AH! Winry’s going to kill me then-SHIT! SHIT! AL! Al’s going to hate me ‘cause he was really excited to be an uncle then there’s Sensei-”_

“Whoa, slow down there-”

_“…SENSEI’S GOING TO BREAK EVERY BONE IN MY BODY! ARGH! Why did that bastard Hohenheim had to-”_

“Calm down, Edward!”

The outburst was completely unexpected and for once, Roy was lost what to say. This is one of those times when he wished for his best friend's advice. Hughes was a picture perfect family man and he would know how to handle this. But alas, it’s been years since his death and Roy is the one trapped in this situation.

“My own father was dead by the time I learned how to read.”

_“Oh.”_

He should have said something nicer but curse it, Fullmetal is a grown adult and he’s going to tell him exactly what he thinks.

“Yeah.”

There was silence and he wonders if he came out too strong.

“Hello?”

The boy chuckles. Well, not his fault he broke easily.

_“That explains why we’re both assholes.”_

Now Roy chuckles. _Smartass._

“Eh, I had Madam Christmas and the girls while you had the Rockbells, the Curtis, and your brother.”

_“Oh…I guess so…”_

“Does having a father makes a difference, Fullmetal?”

Roy haven’t thought much about the subject even as a child. Heck, Chris Mustang is his father’s sister but she had raised him and his many sisters like they were her own. Sure, he didn’t have a strong father figure either but he felt a thousand times more fortunate than one Riza Hawkeye.

_“I…don’t know.”_

Riza once told him that her father’s spirit died along with her mother and ever since then, she had to learn how to keep both of them alive. Chris Mustang was strict and wanted no nonsense in her home but at least she would never let her charges fend for themselves before they were ready just like Riza had done for most of her younger years.

_“Hello?”_

_Damn._ Roy scolded himself for going down memory lane in the middle of the conversation.

“Edward,” he began, hoping the boy would be calm enough for his next words. “You and Alphonse learned the basics of alchemy by yourselves. You trained under a proficient teacher. You became the youngest state alchemist at twelve.”

_“Yeah, but-”_

“You’ve looked after your little brother when your father left and your mother died.”

_“That’s because-”_

“You are more than capable of taking good care of your own spawn, Ed. Besides, I know Miss Rockbell will be more than willing to knock some sense in your stubborn ass should you fail to do your responsibilities.”

The harsh laugh that followed made him grin. _Good._ _Fullmetal could lose some of that tension._

_“Damn, you’re right! She even keeps that huge ass wrench on the freaking bedside table. And it’s Elric, not Rockbell, you dimwit.”_

“But I proved my point, didn’t I?”

_“Alright…a little! Who knew you’d make sense with this kind of stuff?”_

Edward and Alphonse are most certainly not the fruit of his loins (good gods, why did he think of it that way?!) but not even realizing it at first, he’d been a parental figure to them ever since that fateful day.

“Courtesy of Hughes, may that idiot's soul rest in peace. Besides, ten years ago, I came across two stubborn brats- one’s more stubborn than the other, who I would later take under my wing. Both made it to adulthood so I consider it a job well done.”

_“Pfft! You think so?”_

“I know so. Not my fault they like going to dangerous missions. The more stubborn, shorter one who hates milk didn't make it with all original limbs intact though.”

_“You think you’re funny? Congratulations, I just decided to make the kid call you ‘gramps’.”_

Did Fullmetal just imply that the most handsome bachelor in Amestris is getting old? The audacity!

“Haha. I can assure you that I have no silver hair on my-”

_“Gramps.”_

“So mature.”

_“Oh, you want a more old-fashioned one? How about ‘Grandfather Roy’?”_

“I am going to disown you if you do that.”

_“No? Stick to ‘gramps’ then?”_

“Fullmetal…”

A grunt cut him off mid-sentence. Hawkeye was standing in front of his desk, arms laden with another stack of documents and eyes looking at him in question. Roy smiled in defeat.

“Alright, Hawkeye’s here.”

_“Tell her Winry says hi.”_

“Would do. Are you sure you don’t want to talk to her?”

_“It’s fine. You gave me an answer already.”_

“Is that so?”

_“Just hang up already.”_

Roy chuckled.

“Fine, fine.”

_“And uhm… General?”_

“Yeah?”

_“T-Thanks.”_

“Anytime, _son_.”

“These are due on Monday at 2200, sir. How is Edward?”

Roy sighs at the additional stack of papers.

“The boy’s fine, just having some issues. Young Mrs. Elric says hi.”

Hawkeye smiled in relief.

“I’m glad to hear. Now please go back to work, sir.”

Roy could feel his whole body protesting but he picked up his pen anyway. He was halfway through the first document when he remembered something.

“Hawkeye.”

“Sir?”

The woman looked at him expectantly and Roy couldn’t help but grin.

“Congratulations. You’re going to be a grandmother.”

**Author's Note:**

> A special thanks to the lovely Susanna who reignited my love for the series. You can check out her amazing FMA content at [suzelfruz_draws](https://www.instagram.com/suzelfruz_draws/) on Instagram.
> 
> Thank you for reading.


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